Envelopes



H. R. DAY

Aug. 28, 1962 ENVELOPES Filed May 19, 1960 will INVENTOR. M42040 2. 0A)

United States Patent 3,051,371 ENVELOPES Harold R. Day, 11939 LawndaleDrive, Cleveland 30, Ohio Filed May 19, 1960, Ser. No. 30,300 1 Claim.(Cl. 229-85) This invention relates to envelopes, such as are used, forexample, in the transmission of letters and the like.

The invention has for its primary object the provision of an envelopewhich is so constructed as to enable it to be readily opened without theuse of the usual letter opener or bladed instrument.

A further and more specific object of the present invention is theprovision of an envelope having a perforated or scored tear line and afull tab, whereby upon the application of a slight pulling force to saidtab, the enivelope is readily caused to be opened along said tear Afurther and more specific object of the present invention is theprovision of an envelope in which the tear line and the pull tab thereofare quite inexpensively and quite inconspicuously formed, so that incost and in appearance, envelopes embodying the present invention differbut very slightly from standard or conventional envelopes.

A further object of the present invention is the provision of anenvelope which is generally characterized by its structural simplicity,the economy of its manufacture, and the ease with which it can beopened.

Further objects of the present invention, and certain of its practicaladvantages, will be referred to in or will be evident from the followingdescription of envelopes em bodying the invention, as illustrated in theaccompanying drawings, in which FIG. 1 is a rear elevational view of anenvelope embodying the present invention, the sealing flap of theenvelope being in sealing position;

FIG. 2 is a similar view, but with the sealing flap of the envelope inraised position;

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the envelope as it is being manuallyopened;

FIG. 4 is a detail cross-sectional view of the opened envelope, the viewbeing on the line 4-4 of FIG. 3; and

FIG. 5 is a fragmentary rear elevational view of an envelope having aslightly modified sealing flap to provide a slightly modified pull tab.

Before specifically describing the envelopes here illustrated for thedisclosure of the present invention, it is to be understood thatenvelopes embodying the invention may take various forms. It also is tobe understood that the terminology and the phraseology herein used isfor purposes of description and not of limitation, as the scope of thepresent invention is denoted by the appended claim.

Referring now to the accompanying drawings, and particularly to FIGS. 1to 4 thereof, the envelope constituting the embodiment of the inventionthere shown is designated as a whole by the reference numeral 1. Likestandard or conventional envelopes, the envelope 1 is made from a singlesheet of paper or the like and is provided with a generally rectangularfront section and four generally triangular flaps. Specifically, thereare a pair of end or side flaps 3 and 4 which are folded or turnedinwardly from the side or end edges of the front section so as tooverlie the rear surface thereof, a bottom flap 5 which is folded orturned upwardly from the bottom edge of the front section to alsooverlie the rear surface thereof, and a top flap 6 which is adapted tobe folded or turned downwardly from the top edge of the front panel toalso overlie the rear surface thereof when closing of the envelope isdesired. As with standard or 3,051,371 Patented Aug. 28, 1962conventional envelopes, the envelope 1 has the upper edge portions ofits bottom flap 5 overlapping and adhesively secured to the lower edgeportions of the side or end flaps 3 and 4 to thereby provide theenvelope with an upwardly opening pocket for the reception of a letteror the like.

Like standard or conventional envelopes, the envelope 1 has its sealingflap 6 so proportioned with respect to the other three cflaps that whensaid sealing flap is folded or turned downwardly for closing of theenvelope, the lower edge portion of said sealing flap overlies the upperedge portions of said other three flaps, as best shown in FIG. 1 and aswill be readily understood.

For envelope-sealing purposes, the underside or inner surface of thelower edge portion of the envelopes sealing flap 6 is provided withsuitable adhesive 7, as is usual. However, as best shown in FIG. 2. andunlike standard or conventional envelopes, the apex portion 8' of thelower edge portion of the sealing flap 6 is free of adhesive. Thepurpose of this is to make such adhesive free portion 8 a pull tab foruse in the opening of the envelope, as will hereinafter appear.

For envelope-opening purposes, the sealing flap 6 of the presentenvelope is perforated or scored along a line 9 extending substantiallyacross the envelope in spaced relation to the upper and lower edges ofthe sealing flap. As here shown, the perforated or scored line 9 is ofgenerally V shape, thus generally corresponding to the lower edge of thesealing flap, although the angle formed by the two sides of the V of theline 9 is a much larger angle than that formed by the two sides of the Vof the lower edge of the sealing flap.

In use thereof, the present envelope is closed and sealed in the usualmanner, and as will be particularly noted from FIG. 1, the presentenvelope differs but slightly in appearance from standard orconventional envelopes.

The manipulation of the present envelope to open it is shown in FIG. 3.The envelope above the perforated or scored line 9, particularly abovethe apex of the line 9, constitutes a holding portion 6a which isadapted to be manually grasped and held, such as by the thumb and theforefinger of one hand of the person who is opening the envelope. Thetriangular pull tab 8 is similarly grasped and held, such as by thethumb and the forefinger of the other hand of the person who is openingthe envelope. If, by chance, the envelope is to be opened by a personwho has but one hand, either the envelope portion 6a or the pull tab 8may be held by the teeth of such person, as will be readily understood.With the holding area 6a and the pull tab 8 grasped and held, a manualforce is applied, preferably of abrupt character, to separate such heldarea and such pull tab, with the result that the envelope is torn openalong the perforated or scored line 9, as in FIGS. 3 and 4. With aproperly applied and relatively abrupt separating force, the envelopewill snap open along substantially the entire length of the tear line 9in practically an instantaneous manner, as will be readily understood.

As best shown in FIG. 4, the portion of the sealing flap 6 of theenvelope above the tear line 9 thereof remains in its downwardly foldedcondition when the envelope is opened, and thus may, as in FIG. 4,overlie the contents C of the envelope. If so, such contents areprevented from falling from the envelope in the opening thereof. Also,the contents C may be replaced in the opened envelope and againreleasably held therein by the depending top portion 6a of the envelopessealing flap 6 overlapping the contents C with the fold on the upperedge of flap 6 tending to hold portion 6a resiliently in the positionillustrated.

If desired and as shown in FIG. 1, the envelope may have printed thereoninstruction symbols or legends for the opening of the envelope. Forexample, the Word Hold may be printed on the upper portion of thesealing flap 6, such as above the apex of the tear line 9, to indicatewhere the envelope is to be held in the opening of it. In a similarmanner, the word Pull may be printed on the tab 8 .to indicate that itis to be pulled in the opening of the envelope.

In the modification of FIG. 5, a sealing flap 16- is provided having thesame general triangular shape as the sealing flap 6 of the envelope ofFIGS. 1 to 4. However, in the sealing flap of FIG. 5, a notch 11 isprovided at each side of the pull tab .18 so that such pull tab morenoticeably projects from the body of the sealing flap and thus itsfunction as a pull tab is more readily apparent. Like the tab 8 of theenvelope of FIGS. 1 to 4, the pull tab 18 of the modification of FIG. isfree of adhesive, as will be readily understood.

From the foregoing, it will be evident that envelopes embodying thepresent invention are particularly useful where large quantities of mailmust be handled. The envelopes are quickly and easily opened, each withone abrupt motion, and without loss or damage to the contents thereof.Physically handicapped persons can readily open the envelopes and theuse of opening implements, such as the usual bladed letter openers, arewholly unnecessary. The cost of the envelopes over standard orconventional envelopes is negligible and the differences in appearancetherebetween is not noticeable.

To those skilled in the art to which the present invention relates,other features and advantages of envelopes embodying the invention 'willbe obvious.

I claim:

An envelope comprising a front section, a back sec- 4 tion and a closureflap integral with said front section and depending from the upper edgethereof for overlapping envelope-closing engagement with portions of.said back section, said closure flap being free of openings therein andbeing provided with adhesive means for envelopesealing purposes, saidclosure fiap also being provided between said sealing means and itsupper edge with a scored or perforated line of weakness extendingsubstantially across the closure flap, at least the middle portion ofsaid line of weakness being spaced from the upper edge of the closureflap to thereby provide above the line of weakness a closure flap spacewhich may be manually held in fixed relation to that portion of theenvelope front section which is in alignment with said closure flapspace, and said closure flap also being provided at its lower edge andthus below said lineof weakness with a pull tab which is free ofadhesive and which can be conveniently grasped, whereby the opening ofthe envelope, when sealed, along the line of weakness in said closureflap can be readily effected by manually holding the aforesaid closureflap area in fixed relation to that portion of the envelope frontsection Which is in alignment thereby and by manually grasping andpulling the pull tab in a direction away from the front section of theenvelope.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS570,557 Muenchinger Nov. 3, 1896 2,330,666 Berkowitz Sept. 28, 19432,363,957 Goff Nov. 28, 1944 FOREIGN PATENTS 139,705 Austria Dec. 10,1934

